“Do you feel it now?” I question. She swallows hard. “Feel what?” I brush her cheek, slowly and gently, and she doesn’t pull away, instead, she leans into my touch. “Freedom,” I whisper. “That thing inside you, Doctor. The one who watched blood spill and smiled. We know it. We love it. It will always belong to us.” Tears fill her eyes and spill down her cheeks as she nods. A breath. A shudder. A fall. She releases the chains around herself, and lets me see the real her. “Yes,” she sighs. “I feel it.” I lean down, mouth at her ear. “Good girl, now we’re going to both claim you. We’ll fill every
...more
